Cheesecake and a Pie
by Lord Youko
Summary: A building fire has made Inuyasha and his boyfriend Miroku temporarily homeless. When Miroku unthinkingly accepts Sesshoumaru's invitation to stay at his home, little does he know that the brothers have shared more than brotherly love. Living in such close proximity of Sesshoumaru can be dangerous for Inuyasha… and for Miroku. Sess/Inu Inu/Miro
1. Picking Up The Pieces

_**Story: Cheesecake and A Pie**_

 _ **Summary:**_ _A building fire has made Inuyasha and his boyfriend Miroku temporarily homeless. When Sesshoumaru graciously offers them a place to stay, Miroku doesn't see anything wrong with accepting. He doesn't know that the brothers have shared more than…brotherly love. And if he's not careful, he may lose the man of his dreams to someone he can't possibly hope to compete with. Sess/Inu Inu/Miro SLASH YAOI_

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and make no money from the writing of this fic.**

 **A/N:** Hello! I'm back with a new story. I know, I know, I should complete all my other stories first, but this little plot bunny wouldn't leave me alone, so here it is. This story is set in the modern day where youkai and humans kind of co-exist, but there are still far fewer youkai than the feudal age. Humans are kind of aware of the existence of youkai, and not all youkai hide, but there aren't enough of them to really cause trouble to humans. You can review or PM me with any questions you have.

I hope you enjoy the story ^.^

* * *

 **Chapter 1 – Picking Up The Pieces**

"Do you have any idea how the fire started, officer?" Miroku asked the policeman taking down his statement.

"I'm afraid not yet, sir," the man told him, tilting his hat back to look ruefully at the burned ruins of the apartment. The smell of acrid smell still hung about the place, along with the already unpleasant smells of the decrepit alleyway behind the building. Some of the other apartment tenants stood around too, trying to scrounge up whatever things the fire had left behind, now that the fire department had given them permission to enter the building. They had similar slack, despairing looks on their faces, even as some of them tried to hide their worry from their near and dear ones.

Inuyasha emerged from the apartment house holding some cash and a few documents, his old, thread-bare clothes stained with soot.

"Oh thank god," Miroku said, eyeing the documents in Inuyasha's hand with relief.

"Those seem untouched by the fire," the police officer remarked. His tone of voice was carefully neutral but his eyes watched the hanyou sharply.

"That's coz they were in the safe," Inuyasha told him, handing the papers and cash over to his live-in boyfriend Miroku. "You can go take a look, if you want. The safe is still lyin' up there."

The officer wrote down this piece of information in his notepad.

"How soon do you think we'll be able to get the money from the insurance?" Inuyasha asked.

The officer put his notepad away and holstered his pen in his pocket. "Well, there don't seem to be any outward indications of foul play. Probably, if a candle or incense stick or something was left burning, it might have caused the fire. It shouldn't be too long, but until we determine the cause of the fire and get through the paper work, I suggest you gentlemen find another place to stay."

Miroku turned to Inuyasha with a despairing look.

"You guys have any family you could stay with? Maybe some friends?" The officer looked from one to the other.

Miroku shook his head mutely.

"It's fine. We've got some cash and cards. We'll figure it out," Inuyasha said to the officer, holding his hand out. Miroku looked like he was about to say something, but held his tongue. The officer shook Inuyasha's hand and walked off to complete the proceedings.

"Inuyasha, what are we gonna do?"

"We'll just stay on in the motel a few more days," Inuyasha said, rubbing the other man's back comfortingly.

Miroku's shoulders slumped dejectedly. "More like weeks. We'll wipe out our savings this way."

"What else is there to do," Inuyasha said, watching firemen clear out the remains of debris.

As he spoke, a black Bentley pulled into the driveway. Workmen paused in their work to have a proper look at a Bentley in this rundown neighbourhood.

A young man in shades and an expensive looking suit hurried out of the car and opened the passenger door.

Miroku missed the tightening of Inuyasha's mouth as he stared at the gentleman who stepped out of the car, not sparing the bowing chauffeur a glance. The man had long silver hair like Inuyasha's and similar golden eyes, but his were lighter. Miroku couldn't help but stare. He had purple markings on his face which indicated towards youkai blood of an old, powerful family. It wasn't common to see any of those around anymore, and especially not in a run-down neighbourhood like this one.

He walked over to them leisurely, eyes flickering briefly over the ruins of the apartment building and the visibly poor tenants staring at him not so subtly. Miroku glanced at Inuyasha and frowned when he saw how his boyfriend was glaring.

"Inuyasha," the man said, voice deep and low. "It seems I find you in the middle of a quandary."

Inuyasha did not reply to the statement, fist clenching unconsciously. Astonished, Miroku looked mutely from one to the other.

"Miroku, this is Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said in a flat voice when the silence stretched uncomfortably, not taking his eyes off the other man.

Miroku smiled brightly, relieved, and extended a polite hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha snorted, lip twisting in a sneer. "Don't bother. He's-"

But he did not get to complete the snide remark because, to his shock, Sesshoumaru took the human's hand and shook it amicably.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miroku" Sesshoumaru said, and Miroku started a little. The youkai's eyes were boring into his intently, and it was making him uncomfortable. "Pardon Inuyasha," he said, glancing briefly at the hanyou. "He seems to have lost his manners. I am his older brother."

"Half-brother," Inuyasha muttered irritable, but Miroku was barely listening.

He had to put in considerable effort in not letting the smile slide off his face. Inuyasha had never mentioned any living relation, and they had to have been pretty close for him to apologize so casually on Inuyasha's behalf like that.

"It's great to meet you," Miroku said, feeling the very tips of razor sharp claws as Sesshoumaru withdrew his hand.

"It seems the fire did quite a bit of damage," Sesshoumaru said, looking up at the charred remains of the apartment building walls. "I don't know if you have made other arrangements already, but you are, of course, welcome home anytime."

Miroku's eyes lit up hopefully, but Inuyasha shook his head firmly. "No, thanks, jackass."

"Inuyasha!" Miroku exclaimed, turning to his boyfriend in shock. The hanyou wasn't the politest person in the world, but it was still unlike him to return courtesy with such outright animosity.

"What the hell are you even doing here, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha asked bluntly, glancing at the waiting Bentley and the chauffeur whose face was expressionless, but his disapproval of the place was very obvious.

"I was in the neighbourhood," Sesshoumaru said simply.

Inuyasha snorted, glancing away bitterly. "What, the king's now making random visits to his subjects?"

"Inuyasha, what's the matter with you?" Miroku asked, starting to get angry himself. "Your brother's very kindly offering us a place to stay when we have nowhere to go and-"

"We'll find somewhere else, Miroku," Inuyasha said decisively. "This isn't up for discussion."

Miroku opened his mouth to retort, but closed it after stealing a glance at the youkai. It seemed the hanyou's rudeness was contagious.

"I'm sorry," he bowed slightly to Sesshoumaru. "Of course, we wouldn't want to impose."

A small frown creased Sesshoumaru's forehead for the first time, and he glanced at Inuyasha thoughtfully. "I assume Inuyasha has not been forthcoming as regards his home, or you would know it would be no imposition."

Miroku turned red at that, looking down at the ground to avoid both males' eyes. It was strange being talked down to by the hanyou's relation who he had never mentioned, as though _he_ was the one new to Inuyasha's life.

"We've been together five years, but it never came up," Miroku laughed nervously. "Would you please excuse us a moment, Mr. Sesshoumaru?"

He took the hanyou by the arm and dragged him off to the side. Inuyasha threw a half-bitter, half-amused glance at his brother and let himself be manhandled by his boyfriend.

"What the hell was that all about?" he whispered furiously, glancing at the youkai. "How come you never mentioned an older brother?"

"Because we're not on good terms and there didn't seem to be any point, alright?" Inuyasha said quietly, although he didn't bother to whisper. He knew Sesshoumaru could hear every word clearly anyway.

Miroku sighed exasperatedly.

"Look, whatever happened between you two, it looks like he's trying to make amends. Why don't you give him a chance and-"

"He's not trying to fucking make amends," Inuyasha interrupted irritably, glancing at his brother who was looking completely innocent. "I'm saying this as much for our sake as mine. You don't want to go live there, Miroku-"

"How much worse than this dump can it really be?" Miroku exclaimed almost hysterically, gesturing towards the rundown building, the large pile of garbage in the alleyway next to it, and the road covered in potholes. "Do you really want to blow through our savings and give up any chance of a better life just for the sake of your pride?"

Inuyasha averted his eyes before Miroku could see the hurt that flashed in them. "It's not my pride I'm trying to protect," Inuyasha whispered, but Miroku wasn't really listening.

"Whatever you decide to do, don't pretend you're doing it for us," Miroku said almost viciously. "Because I for one, don't see what's so awful about spending a few days at your brother's place that he's so kindly offered to us."

Seeing the forlorn look on Inuyasha's face, his anger deflated, and he placed a pleading hand on Inuyasha's arm. Inuyasha automatically looked down at the human hand on his forearm and his eyes reflexively sought Sesshoumaru's at the gesture, but the youkai didn't seem to be looking at them.

"Please?" Miroku begged. "If it's so bad, we can always leave and go to a motel."

"Fine," Inuyasha said, face suddenly blank. "If it means that much to you. But give me a minute with him."

Leaving Miroku standing there, he walked up to his brother. Each step that he took felt like lead, felt like losing.

Turning his back to Miroku, he looked up at his brother.

"You got what you wanted," he whispered bitterly. "You always do."

There was an angelic smile on Sesshoumaru's face that didn't reach his eyes.

"Before we do, I need to know one thing," Inuyasha said, holding his eyes. "Did you have anything to do with the fire?"

Sesshoumaru met his gaze calmly. "You are asking me if I had your house burned down? No, I did not."

Inuyasha held his gaze for moments longer, searching them. Then he broke the gaze and turned away, nodding. Sesshoumaru was a lot of things, but a liar wasn't one of them.

He glanced over at Miroku who hurried over. He looked at Inuyasha questioningly, and the hanyou nodded once, almost imperceptibly. Miroku barely concealed his delight.

"Thank you so much," he gushed, grabbing the youkai's hand and wringing it up and down. Inuyasha stared bemusedly from the hand to Sesshoumaru's face which was expressionless.

"So… to be clear, you're really inviting me _and Miroku_ home?" Inuyasha asked. "You who wouldn't so much as breathe the same air as humans?"

Sesshoumaru gave him an innocently surprised look that Inuyasha knew was entirely for Miroku's benefit. "I would hardly expect you to abandon your partner of five years, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said.

For some reason, Inuyasha turned slightly pink. "Whatever. We've been staying at a motel since the fire. We'll get our things and meet you at home?"

"There's no need," Sesshoumaru said, summoning his chauffeur with an imperious gesture. The man jumped where he'd been standing arrogantly, and hurried over to them, bowing so low that Miroku couldn't help staring. "You can ride with me now, and I'll have your things sent over."

"But-" Miroku hesitated. Their motel room was kind of a mess; he hadn't really cleaned up, expecting to come right back once they'd got their things from the apartment. He didn't really want strangers picking up their things, and he knew Inuyasha would hate it even more.

But to his surprise, all Inuyasha said was "Fine," before he traipsed off to the car.

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, what do you think? Do you want to read more? Please let me know through reviews or PMs.

Also, for those of you smartasses who didn't read the author's note at the beginning, go up and read it if you have questions about what universe this story is set in.

As always, all criticisms, flames, and metaphorical rotten tomatoes are welcome if you hate it. And you can PM me any time.

Ja ne! ^.^


	2. Inuyasha's Home

**A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews and feedback ^.^ I have replied to all my signed-in reviewers via personal message, and here's the review response to anonymous reviewer Guest:

 **Guest** : Well, Miroku isn't getting the boot any time soon because he and Inu are in a committed relationship. But we'll see what happens, right?

* * *

 **Chapter 2 – Inuyasha's Home**

Miroku had been expecting the car to pull up to a fancy building in a posh neighbourhood; that much he could guess from the car and the youkai's clothes and behaviour. But he had not expected to pull up to a pair of huge, wrought-iron gates. Honestly, he should have had at least an inkling since the car turned into a road marked as "private property", and suddenly, the bustle of the dirty, over-populated city was left behind for a broad, smooth road, lined with lush trees.

There was no lock on the gates, and no men around to open them. The car slid to a stop in front of them and waited. After a moment, he heard a soft beep, and they slid open automatically.

Miroku couldn't help stare out the window like an 8 year old; the car was travelling down a narrower road within the grounds, and the grounds seemed to stretch as far as he could see. And they weren't just any old grounds; there were perfectly trimmed gardens, and a mowed lawn, and an honest-to-god _fountain._ He kept glancing at Inuyasha, but the hanyou was just staring straight ahead disinterestedly.

When the car finally stopped, it was in front of something that looked to be a cross between a mansion and a palace. Miroku stumbled out of the car, as he took in the majestic sight before him.

The structure was made out of pale stones lined with trimmings of dark ebony or granite. The base of elegant, semi-circular balconies were visible when he looked up, and sunlight reflected off large and small windows arranged artistically on the large structure. The shape and the curves indicated a modern design, yet it was a bit too humongous and towering to be entirely modern. The use of stones, the slanting roof, and something undefinable suggested a traditional, old-world charm. It was like something out of a brochure, but grander. Miroku hadn't known places like this existed anymore except as tourist attractions.

As soon as the car stopped, the chauffeur stepped out to hold the door open for them. Sesshoumaru stepped out first, followed by Inuyasha and Miroku hastily climbed out of the car last, surreptitiously trying to flatten his hair, and straighten his clothing. They had taken no more than a few steps when two young girls, dressed in a maid's outfit hurried over to Sesshoumaru and bowed.

Miroku stared shamelessly at their short, severely ironed skirts that revealed beautiful, long milky legs, and the lace-ruffled tops that opened the necks of their uniforms to reveal mouth-watering cleavage. A lace collar lined the girls' lovely long necks and Miroku didn't fail to notice the way their eyes were raised adoringly towards Sesshoumaru, even though he did not so much look at them when he handed over his coat and briefcase.

The yellowish stone semi-circular steps ahead led through a set of large wooden doors into a hall. It was a humongous, imposing empty space that echoed with their footsteps. Miroku found himself staring at everything from the beautiful white marble floor, to the intricately carved ceiling, to the enormous marble pillars lining the sides of room. As Miroku walked in, he noticed that his head did not even reach the top of the base of those pillars, and he wondered exactly how high the ceiling must be; it was falling half in shadow, as the room seemed to be illuminated not from overhead lights, but lights coming from the floor or the walls, though he could not pinpoint their source.

As they reached the doorway at the other end of the hall, Miroku noticed that the two maids who had taken Sesshoumaru's things had disappeared. Instead, there were two young male servants up ahead, standing respectfully behind an elderly man dressed as a butler who stood with his head lowered. "Welcome home, Lord Sesshoumaru," he said. "Dinner will be ready at the usual time, if you please. I can-"

He stopped short as his eyes fell on Inuyasha. His eyes widened in surprise and he quickly bowed his head. "Forgive my transgression. Welcome, Lord Inuyasha."

Miroku looked at his boyfriend incredulously. For the first time since they'd reached, there was a genuine, warm smile on Inuyasha's face. "There's no need for all that ass-kissing with me, you know that. Good to see you again, Sebastian."

The young servants, who had been secretly stealing curious glances at the half-demon and human bowed their head quickly as they overheard who the guest was, and how respectfully Sebastian had greeted him.

"Sebastian will accompany you to your rooms," Sesshoumaru said, turning back towards them. "Your wing is always kept ready for your use. I assume yours and Miroku's things are to be sent over to the Master bed?"

Inuyasha nodded nonchalantly, but his face turned slightly red and he didn't quite meet his brother's eyes. Miroku didn't notice this, though; his mouth had fallen open at _your wing_ and he quickly closed it as he followed Sebastian who was heading in a different direction than Sesshoumaru and the two servants. Here he'd been worrying about putting Sesshoumaru out by occupying his guest bedroom, but Inuyasha had his own _wing_ \- in a fucking _palace_. The hanyou had a lot of explaining to do.

The corridors they walked down were broad and tastefully decorated with art and a few indoor plants here and there where sunlight came in through carved lattice-work and open wooden windows. Not long after, they reached an area that was clearly a little separate from the rest.

The corridors, the doors, everything was still beautiful, but it seemed to have some subtly running theme, with red colour prominent, though tastefully melded in with the décor.

The finally stopped before a set of doors that Sebastian pushed open. He bowed and allowed Inuyasha and Miroku to enter before him.

Miroku's wide eyes hardly took in anything except the overall grand elegance of the room. There were large windows, beautiful rugs, a spotless mirror with the intricately carved silver frame, a beautiful wooden dresser that all melded together seamlessly into one aesthetically perfect creation.

Inuyasha was looking around fondly as he placed the little box of documents he'd been carrying on a desk against the wall.

"Still exactly the same," he marveled, turning his eyes back on Sebastian. "And spotless."

Sebastian bowed. "Lord Sesshoumaru ordered that it be always kept ready for your return," he said.

Inuyasha turned away to hide the blush that rose to his cheeks.

"Please let me know if you or…" Sebastian trailed off delicately.

"This is my boyfriend, Miroku," Inuyasha introduced, and Miroku jumped, startled to suddenly become part of the conversation. It had all started to feel a little like a bizarre dream where he was just a silent spectator. "I was living with him when a fire destroyed our home."

Sebastian's face remained carefully blank, though Inuyasha noticed his sharp old eyes stayed a moment longer on Miroku's face than they otherwise would have.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said bowing to both him and Miroku. "Please let me know if you or Master Miroku-" Miroku blushed bright red. "-require any changes to be made, and I will have it done immediately."

Miroku thought it was just a polite statement, but Inuyasha was looking at him expectantly, so he blushed, and stuttered a reply. "Th-thank you. We'll do that."

"I'll have the bath run," Sebastian said. "As always, dinner is at 8."

Inuyasha smiled. "I haven't forgotten," Inuyasha said gently, and Sebastian felt a small smile tugging at his lips too.

"Thanks, you can go," Inuyasha said. Sebastian bowed and turned to leave. In the doorway, he paused.

"Lord Inuyasha," he said quietly, looking over his shoulder. "It really is good to have you back."

* * *

"So, we have a couple of hours till we have to dress for dinner. I think I'll go have that bath," Inuyasha said, moving to one of the wooden doors against the wall which turned out to be a closet. He picked out a few clothes and shut the doors behind him with casual familiarity, as he turned to face his boyfriend. "Unless you wanted to go first?"

Miroku reddened slightly. "N-no, that's ok," he said, sitting down gingerly on the edge of the perfectly made bed and looking away from Inuyasha. "You go. Besides, I don't have anything to wear. I think I'll wait till our stuff arrives."

Inuyasha looked at him slightly pityingly and neglected to mention that even if he had all of his things, none of it would be appropriate dinner-wear here.

"Uhh don't worry about it," Inuyasha said instead, as he walked with a pile of clothes in his hands to a closed wooden door in the room and twisted the antique-looking doorknob. "I'll have them get some things for you."

Inuyasha had already walked out before he had a chance to answer, and Miroku wanted to yell after him to not do that, but he didn't think it would show very good manners. There were quite a few doors attached to the room; he had assumed one of them led to the bath, but the door Inuyasha had walked through opened into a small, narrow corridor. Miroku was curious to see where it led, but he didn't exactly want the servants to see him following his boyfriend into the bath.

He sighed and got up off the bed, moving to look out the window. It provided a beautiful view of what looked to be a forest. Was it inside the grounds? Miroku didn't see any fence or dividing line between the forest and rest of the grounds. Men and women in uniform were walking around below and Miroku couldn't tear his eyes away from all the beautiful young women in scanty little maid outfits scuttling about the place in high heels. Even though this day was turning out to be uprooting pretty much everything he thought he knew about his boyfriend, there was at least that one little silver lining to coming to this place.

He turned back towards the closed door through which Inuyasha had walked out, and noticed the slight imprint on the side of the bed on which he'd been sitting. He walked over and gently smoothed the wrinkles out of the bedding to leave it perfectly smooth as he'd found it.

* * *

When Inuyasha returned from the bath over an hour later, Miroku was sitting in a chair scrolling through his phone. He looked up to see Inuyasha wearing a perfectly tailored suit black suit. It had the sharp, perfect lines that were only ever possible in new clothes, and an understated glow that Miroku had never really seen in clothing before, except on TV, and then he had always assumed it was a trick of the camera. An undone tie hung loosely around Inuyasha's neck, and his hair was combed straight and tangle free, with a slight sheen to it that Miroku hadn't seen before.

Miroku's stunned eyes followed him around the room, but his annoyance began to rise into anger when Inuyasha didn't so much as look at him.

When he didn't say anything, Inuyasha glanced at him over his shoulder in the mirror. "I've told them your size. Your dinner clothes will be here soon," he said.

Miroku gritted his teeth and threw his phone down on the bed. "I don't want your fucking dinner clothes," he exploded. "Is that all you have to say, after everything?"

Inuyasha sighed, lowering his hands, leaving his now almost completely tied tie hanging loosely around his neck. "I thought we'd wait till we've had dinner to have this conversation," he said.

Miroku threw his arms up despairingly. "Well, I'm sorry if I need a few things cleared up before we sit down to dinner with your- your elder brother, _Lord_ Sesshoumaru," he exclaimed. "I didn't want to go down there and make a fool of myself."

Inuyasha moved closer to gather his boyfriend in his arms. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking," he said softly, looking down into brown eyes filled with turmoil. "I'll explain-"

Miroku caught the scent of some wonderful, expensive aftershave on him, and it made him even angrier. He pushed the hanyou away. "Just tell me why you didn't think it was worth mentioning in five years that you were some kind of… _royalty_ or something, Inuyasha. Or no, I'm sorry, _Lord_ Inuyasha-"

Inuyasha took a deep breath. "No, don't be silly. You don't have to call me that-"

Miroku laughed almost hysterically. "Oh good. Because I wasn't sure for a minute, since apparently, where you come from, you've to dress like you're going to meet the king _just to have dinner_."

Inuyasha remained silent, feeling it better to let the other man have his temper tantrum, since anything he was saying seemed to be making the situation worse.

When he didn't say anything, Miroku turned away from him, beginning to pace back and forth. The silence weighed heavily in the room, and Inuyasha glanced discreetly at the clock on the opposite wall. Miroku suddenly turned around to face Inuyasha again.

"Just tell me why you didn't say anything," he said softly, shoulders slumping. "I love you, Inuyasha. I thought you felt the same about me."

"I love you too," Inuyasha said, taking a few steps towards him again. "You know I do, monk. I just-" Inuyasha took a deep breath, staring out the window. "I didn't think I'd ever come back here. I didn't think it was important."

Miroku looked up at him disbelievingly. "Not important? How would you feel if you found out I'd lied to you about where I come from and my family?"

Inuyasha sighed irritably. "I didn't lie, Miroku. I just… left some things out. Because I didn't think it mattered. D'you think I'd be makin' a living as a plumber, living hand to mouth for five years if I thought for a second that I belonged here?"

Miroku flinched, hurt. "Hand to mouth? Is that what you thought about our life together?"

Inuyasha wanted to slap his forehead. It seemed he really couldn't say anything except all the wrong things today. "That's not what I meant-"

"Although, I get that it would all feel like that, compared to here," Miroku said softly, staring down at the floor, tears gathering in his eyes. "Living on a school teacher's and plumber's salary. I feel like such an idiot."

At that moment, there was a sharp knock on the bedroom door. Inuyasha ignored it, more concerned with his upset boyfriend right now, but he looked up when the door opened without his permission. A young servant boy in crisp uniform entered, holding a pile of clothes in his hands.

"The dinner-wear attire you requested, Lord Inuyasha," he said primly, walking into the room and placing the clothes on a chair. "I hope they're to your satisfaction. If there's nothing else-"

"Come here," Inuyasha ordered him, stepping away from Miroku for a moment who hurriedly turned away to hide his tearful eyes.

The servant looked up at him in surprise through his sandy blond hair, impudently meeting his eyes, before lowering them a moment too late. He walked over confidently to the half-demon.

"Yes?" he said. "I –"

"Shut up," Inuyasha said, and his suddenly deep, low voice was like the crack of a whip. "What's your name, boy?"

The youkai flinched at being addressed as a boy by a half-demon. "Roger, sir," he answered. "I am one of Lord Sesshoumaru's personal servants," he added pointedly.

"Roger, I don't know if you haven't completed your training yet, or you're just an idiot, but you are not to enter your Master's room without being given permission to do so," Inuyasha said.

Roger listened quietly, head lowered, and Inuyasha frowned.

"Look up," he ordered.

Roger raised his eyes. His face was blank but Inuyasha read the contempt in them. He tilted his head to the side thoughtfully.

"I don't think you understand me," he said contemplatively. "Do you know who I am?"

"L-lord Inuyasha," he said, a little frightened despite himself. "younger brother of Lord Sesshoumaru, son of-"

"Exactly," Inuyasha interrupted him. "and though I am a half-demon, and Miroku here is a human, we are far above the likes of you."

Roger drew back a little, startled at the authority and dominance in the half-demon's voice.

Inuyasha reached out and slowly, deliberately, grabbed the boy by the throat and squeezed lightly. "Go tell your friends," Inuyasha said, locking eyes with the now thoroughly frightened boy. "If anyone in this house disrespects me or Miroku again, I will rip their throat out and have their friends clean up the mess."

He smiled at the outrage on the boy's face, as he raised one shaking hand to his throat and the crinkled collar of his uniform. "And if you're thinking of complaining to Sesshoumaru about this, go ahead. Tell him you disrespected me. See what happens."

Roger didn't want to see; he read the truth in the darkness in the half-demon's voice. Dread was turning his stomach to acid suddenly, and he bowed low at the waist.

"I am terribly sorry, Lord Inuyasha. Please forgive my transgression. It will not happen again. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you."

"Get out," Inuyasha told him, standing straight and tall as the servant bowed hastily multiple times and scurried out of the room.

Inuyasha turned back to Miroku. "I'm sorry about that," he said. "These new servants don't know me, and they have to be taught early, or they'll think they own the place."

Miroku didn't say anything. He didn't know how to tell Inuyasha that he didn't recognize this person who was in the room with him right now.

Inuyasha grabbed a hold of his arm and spun him around to face him.

"Hey, you're not an idiot," he said, golden eyes boring into Miroku's. "It's not your fault, it's mine. I should have told you everything. I just- I didn't want to think about any of it, and our life was so perfect and I didn't want anything to change, alright?"

Miroku looked up at him reluctantly. "Inuyasha, you don't have to say that-"

"No, I mean it," Inuyasha asserted. "I'd much rather be sitting at home with you right now, eating take-out on the couch in front of the TV, or eating cereal for dinner right out of the box over the sink, than going down to dinner here. And you have every right to be mad and I'll answer all of your questions once we're back, but right now, you really need to go change or we're going to be late."

"Alright fine," Miroku said softly. "We'll talk about it later. I- I just want to take a quick shower rather than a bath if that's alright?" he asked.

Inuyasha nodded. "Of course," he said. "Then you need not go all the way to the bathhouse. Just use the bathroom over here," he pointed to another door, identical to the first one.

Miroku nodded and walked over to the chair where the servant had placed the piled of clothes. It contained two sets of clothes, neatly folded separately, and he took one and headed to the bathroom.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say that he could change out here, but he realised the man would not want to be naked in a strange room right now, especially not when servants were barging in every which way, and he remained quiet as Miroku entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Inuyasha heard the click of a lock turning.

* * *

Miroku stood under the hot water of the shower, turning his face up to the heavy spray, letting it soak his hair.

Thoughts were still whirling in his head, and he had only a few minutes to collect himself before he had to go out there and keep a cool head, at least through dinner.

It was all so bizarre, that he didn't know where to begin getting used to it. Inuyasha had a family. Also, he was from either a royal line or at least, a super-rich family. But money wouldn't explain the title – unless it was some kind of ego-boost? But that didn't quite make sense.

Miroku clenched his fists, eyes still closed against the spray of hot water. What the hell was he going to say in front of Inuyasha's brother? How did it look, that the hanyou hadn't told him the first thing about his family?

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Miroku realised Sesshoumaru probably thought of him as some kind of gold-digger, the way he'd pushed Inuyasha to come here. But in his defence, he didn't know about all this then! So, which was better? Letting Sesshoumaru think he was after Inuyasha for the money, or letting him know Inuyasha hadn't told him anything?

With a sigh, Miroku decided it was the latter. After all, he didn't really want Sesshoumaru to disapprove of him. If the youkai decided he wasn't good for Inuyasha, Miroku somehow felt sure he wouldn't think twice before getting him kicked out of the hanyou's life.

For a moment, Miroku cursed himself for putting them both in this situation. None of this would have happened if he'd just followed the hanyou's lead and refuse Sesshoumaru's invitation.

But then, he reminded himself, none of this would have happened if Inuyasha had just been honest with him. That's what he got for falling for the ruggedly handsome, quiet half-demon. His friends had warned him about getting into a relationship with a half-demon, and Inuyasha had always been a little strange; he had no friends, kept pretty much to himself, and did his meagre work as a plumber uncomplainingly. He never frequented strip joints or seedy bars like the other men he knew with blue-collar jobs. It was part of what had drawn him to the hanyou; a mysterious outcast, quietly dominant, unwilling to talk about his past, yet always open and honest about his present life. Since they'd been living together, he always came home to Miroku each night, unfailingly, he never so much as looked at another man or woman, and he did an honest day's work.

Miroku's fingernails dug into his palms as he thought about the secret Inuyasha had been hiding. It turned his whole world upside down, changed everything he thought he knew about the hanyou. How the hell was he to go out there now, when he hadn't even had a chance to get any answers, and face his family over dinner?

Fuck it, Miroku decided, lathering up some shampoo in his hand. He was going to stay in here, in this warm, comfortable shower, until he was ready to face the hanyou. He'd told Inuyasha he would be taking a quick shower, but after all, the least the man could do was wait for him.

* * *

Outside, Inuyasha's thoughts were in just as much of a jumble as he waited for his boyfriend to finish his bath.

My god, had it really been a little over seven years since he'd left this place? Everything seemed exactly the same. Standing at the window in his dinner clothes, watching the sky darken, it almost felt like he had never left.

He'd sworn he would never come back here. Seven years… he'd managed to make it seven years before the bastard had found him and somehow, roped him back in.

But it wasn't the same now. He had Miroku. Miroku, his loving boyfriend, who did not deserve to find out about all this in this way. Miroku whom he loved and cared for.

Inuyasha straightened up as he stared out the window. Whatever Sesshoumaru was planning, he had a life with Miroku now. Nothing the taiyoukai could do was going to make him go back to him. He wasn't the same person anymore, dammit. He wasn't the love-sick puppy who'd followed his brother around, wagging his tail.

He stared at the bathroom door, puppy ears flickering at the sound of the rhythmic ticking of the clock. Miroku sure was taking his time in there. It was getting too close to eight. He didn't want to be late on his first day here. He would show Sesshoumaru that he wasn't an absentminded kid anymore, getting scolded by his big brother for showing up late. Besides, if he showed up late with Miroku, it would give the demon Lord one more chance to be an ass to his boyfriend. He wasn't buying the whole ok-with-humans bit. He just knew the youkai was going to show his true colours at some point, and he was damned if he allowed the jackass to hurt his boyfriend in any way.

On the plus side, Miroku was quite a sight for sore eyes, and he'd made sure to get him the right clothes. At least the first time he sat down to dinner with Sesshoumaru, the demon Lord would have nothing to comment on regarding his human boyfriend's attire. A small voice in the back of his head smugly said that it couldn't be easy for Sesshoumaru to see him with someone else, especially someone as hot as Miroku. But then, that didn't exactly reassure him, since he knew exactly how Sesshoumaru reacted when he didn't get his way.

Tapping his foot impatiently on the rug, Inuyasha took out his phone. Glancing once more at the closed bathroom door, where the faint, muffled sound of the shower water running was audible, Inuyasha opened a social media app and began browsing the pictures. But his brain barely registered what he was seeing, and his eyes kept returning to the clock on the wall.

* * *

When it seemed like he was starting to prune in the hot water, Miroku took a deep breath, and steeling himself for what was to come, reached out blindly to turn the shower off. He managed to somehow release a strong spray directly onto his stomach, and a small shriek escaped him, before he managed to turn the damn thing off. After some more fumbling, and turning a series of hot and cold sprays on and off, he finally managed to turn the shower off, and stepped out of the little glass cubicle onto the bath mat.

He immediately blushed, seeing himself naked in the full-length mirror in front of him. It was disconcerting to see the lower half of his body, when usually, he only got to see his face and shoulders.

He grabbed one of the towels off the tray and wrapped it around himself. He was surprised to find it slightly warm. He looked up at the steel shelf where the towels were stacked and touched it gingerly with one finger – it was warm. Smiling bitterly, he wrapped the dried himself thoroughly with the fluffy towel, and then stepped onto the ample dry portion of the bathroom to begin getting dressed.

To his surprise and embarrassment, there was a pair of undergarments folded in with the suit, and he reluctantly pulled them on, knowing he didn't really have a choice.

When he was done wearing the suit, he reached out and rubbed the steam off the mirror to get a better look. He looked… good, if he did say so himself. The suit fit him well. Not as well as Inuyasha's had, but still better than all the suits he owned. It had that same mysterious sheen to it, and when he read the label on the inside of the jacket, he almost had to sit down.

Holy shit, no way was he ever going to be able to afford to pay for even one of these, let alone two. He took a steadying deep breath to keep the panic down. What the hell was Inuyasha thinking? Did he not know this thing probably cost as much as he made in six months? Or did he think he would be ok with his older brother paying for his clothes?

Reluctantly, he turned the lock, and twisted the door-knob, stepping out of the bathroom.

"Inuyasha-", he began in clipped tones, but the hanyou was already almost at the door.

"Are you ready?" he asked impatiently, giving the monk a hasty look from head to toe that somehow made Miroku feel cheap in the ridiculously expensive clothes.

"Oh good, they fit," Inuyasha said, sounding relieved, picking up his mobile phone off his desk and slipping it into his jacket pocket. Then he turned around suddenly, and did a double take at his head.

"What the hell happened to your hair?" he snapped.

Reflexively, Miroku reached up to feel his flat, wet locks. "Uhh I.. washed them?" he said gingerly.

"I can see that," Inuyasha said irritably. "Only, we don't have time to dry them now. Jeez." He took a deep breath, walking over to adjust them a little. "It's fine, we'll just go like this. Here are your dress shoes and socks."

Mechanically, Miroku sat down on the little stool, rubbing his slightly damp feet on the rug before slipping on the pair of crisp white socks and polished black shoes that weren't his.

Inuyasha's back was already turned to him when he got up, and he followed the hanyou out the door without a word. The door shut behind them with a quiet thud.

* * *

 **A/N:** Next chapter: a formal dinner with Sesshoumaru! ^.^ How do you think Miroku will fare?

There may be a few surprises along the way.

Review and let me know what you think of the story so far!


	3. Dinner

**A/N:** Thank you so much, **Gayle Nightingale,** **Kai's the Best, sherryfanfic1999, NikkiS71, sleepdeprivedsoul, ,** and **SesshoPuppy** for reviewing ^.^ Here are the responses to the anonymous reviewers:

 **Guest:** That's an interesting thought. I like seeing the different shades of Sesshoumaru in fanfiction too… my favourite Sess/Inu writers are mainly those who manage to do it well; the story is often secondary for me.

 **Guest:** If you remember Sesshoumaru's mother's palace in the anime, it wasn't exactly a traditional Japanese home. And that's because the Japanese castles with their shoji screens were built that way for a reason, and that reason doesn't apply to a youkai like Sesshoumaru. I'll be happy to discuss it with you in more detail if you sign in when you leave a review or give me an email ID where I can reach you.

And as for Sebastian XD I wasn't thinking when I named him that but it's funny now that you pointed it out.

Shoutout to **sherryfanfic1999** who had kind of guessed where this was heading. ^.^

On to the chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 3 – Dinner**

When Inuyasha headed down to dinner, Sebastian was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

Sebastian was a thin, severe man of average height, but he stood so straight and looked so proper that people tended to mistake him for being taller than he was. He had grey hair, neatly cut and styled, and his bright blue eyes were the only indication that he wasn't human – they were too brilliant and too blue to belong to a human.

As Inuyasha watched his familiar form, clad in the black uniform of a butler of a tradition English house, standing still as a statue, it occurred to him suddenly that the secret to Sesshoumaru's continued success over the centuries was not so much his skill with business or money, as his skill with accumulating all the right employees.

"Lord Inuyasha," he bowed. "I presumed you would be heading towards the old dining room."

"Yeah," Inuyasha said, pausing. "Isn't that where dinner always is?"

"Not…in the last few years," Sebastian said delicately, tactfully refraining from saying _since you left._ "It's now held in the parlour, unless it's a formal occasion."

Inuyasha hid his surprise as he nodded and followed the old butler. Sesshoumaru didn't easily change his old habits like that, at least not without a good reason.

The parlour was a lovely warm room, quite unlike the formal dining room that Inuyasha was used to. It had a rectangular wooden table that was small compared to the one in the old room, but still big enough to fit eight people comfortably. The décor of the room boasted warm colours – red interspersed with more earthy browns, with a background of beige. One wall consisted of floor-length windows adorned by deep red curtains, and the floor was carpeted with oriental rugs complete with intricate design.

Sesshoumaru was already seated at the head of the table when Inuyasha arrived, but that wasn't what surprised him. What surprised him was the young teenage human girl sitting on his left, smiling happily up at him.

Inuyasha felt his heart plummet as he saw Sesshoumaru leaning forward and speaking warmly with the girl in quiet tones.

"Lord Inuyasha and Master Miroku," Sebastian announced, bowing.

Sesshoumaru and the little girl both stood up, as Inuyasha and Miroku approached the table. Inuyasha stared at her, bemused. The first thing that struck him was that that was an odd thing for her to do. Girls never got up for men; it was an unforgivable lapse of decorum. But Sesshoumaru didn't, by word or glance, reprimand her.

To his further surprise, Sesshoumaru was wearing only a plain white shirt coupled with formal pants. The top couple of buttons on his shirt were undone; it was usual for his collar to be open, because Sesshoumaru didn't usually wear a tie, even with a suit, but what wasn't usual was that the jacket of the suit was slung over the back of his chair. Of course, the lines of the white shirt were razor thin and just as sharp, and Sesshoumaru managed to look impeccable in it, but that didn't change the fact that the demon Lord was almost casually dressed.

"Welcome back, Lord Inuyasha," the little girl chirped, smiling brightly up at him. She couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen years old, and she was dressed in simple but fine clothes; a stylish black vest on a white shirt, paired with a short, modern skirt. Her black hair was glossy and cut short almost up to her ears in the latest style. "It's so nice to finally meet you," she said enthusiastically, boldly holding out her hand. "I'm Rin."

"It's nice to meet you, Rin," Inuyasha managed to say, as he shook the young girl's hand, though his eyes kept returning to Sesshoumaru. She was human; he could tell instantly by her scent. And by her accent, it was clear that she was low-born. Sesshoumaru now had a human girl sitting at the family table as though she was one of them, as an equal. Things really had changed around here.

"Rin is my ward," Sesshoumaru said, as Rin shook Miroku's hand just as warmly. When Inuyasha dithered uncertainly and didn't sit down, Sesshoumaru gestured for him to be seated at his usual place to his right. Inuyasha blushed slightly, and took his seat. He hadn't wanted to make a fool out of himself by presuming, but it seemed his leaving without the elder's permission hadn't at least changed his place at the dinner table. Miroku sat down to Inuyasha's right.

"Sesshoumaru-sama rescued me when I was little," Rin told Inuyasha happily, discreetly noting that the hanyou didn't seem entirely comfortable with her presence. "I was an orphan about to be sold to some bad people, when Sesshoumaru-sama found me and adopted me."

The napkin Inuyasha had been arranging in his lap almost slipped from his fingers. It was strange enough for the girl to reveal such very personal things on the first meeting, but that wasn't the part of the sentence that shocked Inuyasha the most.

"Adopted you?" he asked incredulously, looking from Rin to Sesshoumaru.

Miroku had been watching the exchange between the three quietly, and now he placed a placating hand on the half-demon's arm.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said warningly. He didn't like the look in Sesshoumaru's cold golden eyes.

Luckily, Inuyasha seemed to have taken the hint.

"I'm sorry, it's just hard for me to imagine a youkai adopting a human child," Inuyasha finished lamely. He suddenly realized that he had come close to raising his voice at the dinner table; it would just be proof of what 6 years outside had done to his basic manners.

"Rin isn't a regular human child," Sesshoumaru said, glancing at her, and the warmth in his voice made bile rise up in Inuyasha's throat.

"Sesshoumaru-sama is very kind," Rin said, self-deprecatingly, and Inuyasha looked away, fidgeting with the napkin in his lap. He abruptly remembered the lessons he'd been given in his youth, about keeping private matters private, and never discussing them before strangers. And yet, here Rin was, a human child chosen by Sesshoumaru himself to be his family, who got to say whatever she wanted.

Miroku discreetly rubbed Inuyasha's arm comfortingly, not quite understanding why the hanyou was so upset, but knowing that he needed to relax.

When they were all seated comfortably, Sesshoumaru gestured for the servants, and they appeared with the food, swiftly and efficiently placing the food items on the table.

Inuyasha had been prepared to have to rant and storm out if Sesshoumaru had neglected to make provisions for human food for Miroku, but it seemed there was no need. Along with youkai meat for Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha, there were plates upon plates of delicacies of human food. Of course, Inuyasha now realized the food would not have been prepared just for Miroku; Rin must be a usual at the dinner table. But it smoothed that one hurdle he'd been a little apprehensive about.

Servants served the food as courteously and efficiently as he remembered, impeccable in their work. He had expected to be ravenous being in the presence of great food after a very long time, but he suddenly found that he didn't quite have an appetite. He took hold of the knife and fork, and waited for Sesshoumaru to start before beginning his meal, as was the custom.

To his surprise, Sesshoumaru was looking at Rin. The little girl waited till the servants had gone, and then join her hands together and said a small prayer. Only after she'd finished, did Sesshoumaru break his bread, signalling the beginning of the meal. From the corner of his eye, Inuyasha could make out Miroku smiling warmly at this. The ex-monk must be happy to see a display of devotion in a pre-dominantly youkai household. But it just made Inuyasha sick to his stomach, and he had to force himself to cut up a piece of the meat on his plate and put it in his mouth.

Miroku was also finding it difficult to enjoy the food, but for different reasons. He had to force himself not to stare once the servants appeared. He could tell by their aura that they were all youkai, but even if he hadn't had the training of a monk, he would have easily guessed that something wasn't quite normal about these servants.

For one, they all looked unnaturally perfect. The footmen were all handsome, clad in perfectly ironed, crisp uniforms, hair perfectly combed and in place. Their exquisite, well-built muscles were visible even through the long-sleeved shirts as they served the food. And the maids were all beautiful – no, not just beautiful. They were… curvy.

And that was the other thing. Miroku admittedly did not know much about English castles and households, but he did not think any of them had such uniforms for the serving maids. The maids all wore short, frilly aprons over a puce dress that was even shorter than the aprons, and barely covered their thighs. That, and the high heels they wore displayed their lovely, elegantly muscled legs to advantage – some milky white, some chocolate coloured, and some a lovely shade of golden brown. The necks of their uniforms had deep, plunging necklines, showing off their ample cleavage. Even the rather delicate-looking girls carried large, heavy trays of food effortlessly, and when they bent down to hold the trays before him, he had to resolutely look away and will all the blood away from his face so that he did not make a fool of himself here, when he had a chance to make a proper first impression.

Inuyasha was too preoccupied with his own problems to notice how uncomfortable Miroku was. But Sesshoumaru didn't miss the way his face turned red, and his muscles tensed, and how he determinedly did not look at any of the servants. A small smile played about his lips as he cut up his meat, rendering an angelic glow to his already perfect features.

"What do you do, Miroku-san?" Rin asked cheerfully, already making headway through the food on her plate.

"I'm a school teacher," Miroku answered hesitantly, grateful for the distraction the question provided, and discomfited now that the topic had come up. "I teach elementary school."

"He's also a monk," Inuyasha added gruffly, glancing a little vindictively at Sesshoumaru. Miroku almost dropped his fork as he turned bright red. Was it absolutely necessary to bring that up right away in a house full of youkai? The youkai servants were right there, standing near the wall, a respectful distance away.

"Pardon me, Miroku-sama," Rin said, bowing her head slightly.

"That's quite alright," Miroku smiled, warming to the polite little girl. There weren't many kids today who knew the correct way to address a monk and even fewer who had manners enough to do it. "I'm not practicing anymore," he said.

"How curious that you made Inuyasha's acquaintance, then," Sesshoumaru said, his deep voice quiet, though carrying across the table easily. "How did the two of you meet?"

Miroku turned his head towards Inuyasha and smiled. "Rather unconventionally, I'm afraid. Inuyasha helped me out of a tight spot."

Inuyasha felt his brother's gaze on him like a physical weight, and his hand tightened on his fork. "That sounds like an exciting story," Rin said, eyes shining.

Miroku laughed. "It is, I guess. I was at a club. I was dancing with a… gentleman. It was too late by the time I realized he'd had too much to drink. Well, suffice to say I would have been in a lot of trouble, when in comes Inuyasha, and knocks his lights out in one punch."

"Inuyasha was at a dance club?" Sesshoumaru asked amusedly, finally giving Miroku his full attention. A maid, a beautiful blonde girl with ample breasts, stepped forward and replenished the demon Lord's wine, even as one of the handsome footmen served Rin some more food.

"Well, no," Miroku admitted, as his hand came up to adjust his collar. "It turned out, he was working there. He was on his way out when he saw us."

"Working?" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, glancing towards the hanyou, and then back at Miroku.

Inuyasha lost his battle with his blood then, and his face flushed. He stared determinedly at his plate of food, and refused to look up.

Miroku looked from one sibling to the other, and frowned. "Well yes, he works as a plumber," Miroku told Sesshoumaru.

"Really," Sesshoumaru said softly, turning back towards Inuyasha, and Miroku didn't miss the derision that flashed in his eyes.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said suddenly, looking up to stare straight at his brother. "That's right. I work as a plumber now. You got a problem with that?"

The clatter of cutlery stopped; there was silence at the table.

"You always did imagine a slight where there was none, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru finally said calmly.

Miroku frowned even more fiercely as Inuyasha quietly lowered his eyes. That's not the Inuyasha he knew. The Inuyasha he knew never backed down.

He wanted to shout at the demon Lord. He wanted to say something in Inuyasha's defence. But somehow, he could not find the words, and he stared down at his food in frustration.

Rin seemed to be the only one comfortable at the dinner table, eating happily. Miroku found himself staring at her for a moment wonderingly. She seemed so innocent and sweet at first sight, and yet, here she was, unfazed by all the unpleasantness.

For some reason, it just made Miroku angrier.

"So," he said abruptly. "What do you do, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The table fell silent once again. Inuyasha, who had begun to eat a little again, stopped short. Rin paused with a piece of food on her fork. The servants seemed to all be determinedly looking straight ahead, although it was clear each one of them was listening with bated breath.

Miroku glanced subtly around the table, wondering why they were reacting this way to a simple question. He had gone out of his way to be polite, addressing him as –sama instead of –san, as would be usual.

Next to him, Inuyasha allowed his bangs to cover his eyes.

"Inuyasha has really not divulged anything of himself to you," Sesshoumaru said softly, looking thoughtfully at his younger brother.

Inuyasha slammed his knife and fork down on the plate with a loud clatter, and abruptly got to his feet. The intensity of hate in his eyes had Miroku's eyes widening in surprise as he looked up at his boyfriend.

Without a word, Inuyasha pushed his chair away, turned around, and left the room.

Miroku stared after him stunned. Then he turned his surprised eyes on the other two. Rin was looking just as surprised as he was, and Sesshoumaru had an unreadable look on his face.

Hastily, Miroku took the napkin off his lap, murmured his apologies to his host, and followed his boyfriend.

* * *

 **A/N:** Mwaaahaaahaaa =^.^= cliffy! Tell me what you think! Review please!


	4. Family History

**A/N:** Thank you so much to _**Gayle Nightingale**_ _ **,**_ _ **Kai's the best,**_ _ **NikkiS71**_ _ **,**_ _ **fan,**_ _ **Hattaru,**_ _ **love crimson red ray88**_ _ **,**_ _ **Yueh16**_ _ **,**_ _ **Nat-chan-sama,**_ _ **ILSA1609,**_ and _**Kia Landermoore**_ for reviewing ^.^

* * *

 **Chapter 4 – Family History**

"… _because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places."_

 _-Roald Dahl_

 _..._

"Inuyasha, kami help me, you better start explaining yourself fast," Miroku said through gritted teeth.

After getting lost twice and having to embarrassingly ask for directions to their room – Inuyasha's room – he finally made it back to his boyfriend. He had found Inuyasha in the exact state that he was in now - lying on the bed in his dinner clothes, staring moodily up at the ceiling.

Inuyasha glanced at him and didn't answer.

Miroku's hands balled into fists at his side.

"What do you want me to say, Miroku?" Inuyasha said at length.

"I want you to tell me why you stormed out of there like a little brat and humiliated me in front of everyone – "

Inuyasha sat up and frowned. "You wanna make this about you now?" he demanded. "Fine, let's talk about you! You couldn't wait for a couple of hours for me to explain things? You just _had_ to go and ask my brother-"

Miroku blinked rapidly, incredulous. "I was making conversation! It's what you do when the tension's thick enough to cut with a knife, in case you didn't know! Pardon me for not guessing _"what do you do"_ was a loaded question!"

"But don't you see how that looks?" Inuyasha exclaimed. "Now he'll-"

Inuyasha stopped himself, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes and looked at Miroku, he had a look in his eyes that made Miroku suddenly uncomfortable.

"Can't you guess what he does, Miroku?" Inuyasha asked, voice suddenly soft. Miroku swallowed nervously, licking his lips before answering.

"As a matter of fact, I can't," the monk retorted. "I'm sorry if that makes me an idiot, Inuyasha. I just haven't the faintest idea what a _youkai Lord_ living in a mansion in the middle of the goddamn city in this day and age does."

Inuyasha looked away and ran a tired hand over his eyes. For some reason, Miroku felt a sharp stab of hurt.

He turned away from Inuyasha and sat down on one of the plush chairs, looking determinedly out the window and away from Inuyasha.

"I'm sorry," Inuyasha said finally. "He just... pushes all my buttons, alright?"

Hesitantly, Miroku turned a little towards him, trying to keep the hurt out of his eyes, but seeing the pitying look Inuyasha gave him in return, he was afraid the other man saw it anyway.

"I'll explain everything," Inuyasha said quietly.

* * *

A half hour later, Miroku was sitting on Inuyasha's bed, wearing Inuyasha's pewter pajamas, a steaming cup of cocoa in his hand.

Inuyasha had ordered him is own nightwear, but Miroku stubbornly refused to wear the exquisite silk garments, insisting he'd just borrow Inuyasha's until he had his own clothes back.

Inuyasha knew this wasn't a battle he should be fighting, knowing what was to come, and had only asked him hesitantly if he would be ok with ordering up something to eat and drink since they had both had hardly touched their dinner.

Since he was hungry too, Miroku had reluctantly agreed to a cup of cocoa and some snacks, although he darted into the bathroom when the servant knocked on the door. He wasn't ready to face anyone after the humiliation at the dinner table.

Miroku could sense the discussion that was to happen was going to be serious by the fact that Inuyasha didn't comment or tease him when he finally did come out of the bathroom. Instead, he just handed him an ornate mug that Miroku guessed cost more than his cell phone, and a plate full of cookies and assorted snacks Miroku didn't recognize.

Inuyasha plopped down on the soft bed, folding one knee under him, his own steaming cup of milk in hand. "I'm not sure how to start," he admitted, cupping the hot mug in both hands.

Miroku gave him a flat look, and the half-demon looked away, thinking.

"What do you know about youkai?" Inuyasha finally asked quietly, looking back at his boyfriend.

Miroku frowned into his cup. He knew a lot, theoretically. He had trained to be a monk. He knew what youkai were, the different kinds, the weaknesses of those different kinds, and how to beat them.

When he said this to Inuyasha, the hanyou gave him a strange look.

"Have you… met many youkai?" Inuyasha asked carefully.

"Well, yeah," Miroku said. "You know, the teller at my bank is a goat youkai, and a couple of the cashiers at the supermarket down our street, and there are a few working in the school-"

"No," Inuyasha interrupted. "I mean… have you known any youkai? As… more than acquaintances?"

"Not really," Miroku answered. "But you know how it is. They… mostly keep to themselves."

"I don't actually know how it is," Inuyasha said, smiling ruefully. "Hanyou are… a little ways down the ladder below youkai, in case you hadn't noticed."

Miroku frowned fiercely. "That's all bullshit and you know it. At least now, in this day and age-"

Inuyasha raised his palms conciliatorily. Normally, he found it heart-warming and adorable, hearing the monk's naive views on youkai-human relationships, but this wasn't the time.

"I'm not tryin' to argue," he said, trying to placate the monk. "What I was getting at is… "

He took a deep breath and looked away. "God, I don't know how to say this."

"What is it, Inuyasha? You're scaring me a little," Miroku admitted.

When Inuyasha met his eyes again, his own were determined. "Monk, let me just start by sayin' that… things aren't always how they look. I guess you know this better than regular humans, but still, a… lotta things are happenin' right in front of your eyes that you can't even imagine."

"What are you talking about?" Miroku frowned.

"Youkai aren't… as powerless and scattered as you'd think."

Miroku stared. "I know that. Of _course_ they aren't. They can do anything they want to too. Just the other day, there was a story in the news about this young youkai boy who-"

"Dammit monk, that's not what I'm talking about," Inuyasha exploded. "I'm _sayin'_ they don't need your pity as much as you'd think. Youkai society is alive and kickin'... in fact, they pull the strings behind a lot of human places of power."

Miroku stared at him incredulously for a moment before starting to laugh. When Inuyasha just looked at him in all seriousness, Miroku stopped, now deeply unsettled.

"Inuyasha, don't tell me you buy into those conspiracy theories," Miroku frowned.

"It's true," Inuyasha said quietly. "And the reason I know is… I grew up in the house from where the strings get pulled."

"You – what… But that's ridiculous," Miroku said, "You're trying to tell me that… that youkai have some kind of secret rebellion going against the humans, and that your family is.. is some kind of mafia?"

Inuyasha made a despairing sound. "No, monk, that's not what I'm sayin' at all. We're not some kind of Godfather-style family."

"Then what?" Miroku asked.

"Dammit, Miroku, youkai aren't rebelling. Because they don't _need_ to rebel."

Miroku still looked like he was floundering and Inuyasha realized he had to get at this another way. Inuyasha looked at him thoughtfully. "You teach history at your school right?" he asked.

Miroku blinked rapidly, trying to now catch hold of this line of thought. He opened his mouth to ask some questions, but then closed it and nodded hesitantly, absently hovering his hand over his own mug to feel the steam on the palm of his hand.

"So you know how… things used to be? How it was before humans took over?"

Miroku frowned. "Well, not much is known about that time, is it?"

Miroku tried to remember what he'd studied. The demon race had once been all-powerful, menacing humans with their ruthless ways. That was the time when monks and priestesses were also at the height of their power, humanity's only hope against the menace and power of youkai. Then humans started making technological advances, and the youkai were defeated. There were some legendary battles documented over the ages, but historians suspected a lot of them were embellished by fairy tales, so it was almost impossible to know what had actually happened. All that was known for sure was the result, which was that youkai had been relegated to the fringes of society now and they survived more or less at the pleasure of humans.

"But yeah, I know what you're talking about," he said finally. "They were constantly fighting wars and terrorizing humans."

Inuyasha nodded. "And it didn't work out because they were power-hungry and dumb and violent and they weren't organized. And humans were. They figured out a way to work together and ousted the youkai from power."

"Exactly," Miroku frowned. "And then they were the ones oppressed. They spent centuries being treated like dirt by humans, even after they long since lost their violent tendencies."

Monk training involved living among them for a while, learning their habits and their ways. He'd got his training in a far removed little village in the country where the long arm of the law barely reached, and people were pretty much left to fend for themselves. He'd watched a moderately powerful youkai thief being systematically captured and killed by humans. He'd watched their eyes as they had stoned him to death while he struggled to get out of the trap they'd made just for him. He'd seen entire groups of youkai getting gunned down like dogs when they wandered out in the evening, when it was forbidden for youkai to go out in groups of more than three. He had heard of atrocities committed against them in youkai prisons. And this was now, when awareness was just being raised about compassionate treatment about them was rising.

"Laws were different for them," Miroku said softly. "They were punished more harshly, and the punishment for killing youkai, even now, isn't the same as killing a human. Maybe they're now getting their feet under them and finding a way to survive in the human regime. And we're now just getting around to somewhat treating them as – as equals-"

"Monk," Inuyasha said quietly. "They aren't trying to find a way to exist in the human regime. They have their own regime… and my brother is at the head of it."

Miroku smiled, and in his face, there was sadness and an odd kind of relief. "You said it yourself, Inuyasha. The youkai met their downfall because they couldn't work together. Even if I wanted to believe this cockamamie story of yours, unfortunately, I know enough about youkai that there is no way they're going to just all agree to be under the rule of one youkai."

Miroku took a deep breath. "Look, I'm not saying Sesshoumaru's not an important man. I mean, clearly, he does something that's very… lucrative to be living like this. But I'm sorry, I just can't believe he's some kind of new-age youkai leader."

Inuyasha laughed humorlessly. "Oh, he's not new-age, monk. He's the oldest kind you'll find. The old, old kind."

Miroku gave him a watery, disbelieving smile in return, and Inuyasha's smile tightened.

"Miroku, right before youkai lost power, there was a youkai who had brought all of Japan under one rule," Inuyasha continued. "This was just a little before humans started gaining power and the youkai kingdom crumbled."

"Sure," Miroku said, "He's called the phantom beast. What was his name?"

Inuyasha was pointedly silent for a bit. Miroku frowned, oblivious, staring into his cup of cocoa.

"I can't remember," he said after a few moments. "But he was called the General… the dog… general…"

He trailed off, face paling slowly at the look on Inuyasha's face.

"He was my father," Inuyasha said quietly. "Our father. Mine and Sesshoumaru's."

Miroku had to set the cup of cocoa down on the table next to the bed, his hand was trembling so much.

"You – you're telling me… you're telling me that you're Lord Inu no Taisho's…but that's not possible," he said desperately, and a little hysterically. "That's not possible. There's no mention of Inu no Taisho having any children. He's… he's just a myth!"

Inuyasha remained said nothing. Miroku searched his face wildly for any sign that he was kidding. But now, all he could see were his features, the amber eyes, and he remembered Sesshoumaru's features. The purple stripes… he'd seen those purple stripes before.

And suddenly, an image in a scroll came back to him, of an armoured youkai with long silver hair tied back… with purple stripes on his face, and a legendary sword in his hand.

Miroku thought he might get sick right there on the bed.

* * *

 **A/N:** Please review or comment and let me know what you think ^.^


	5. Someone To Protect

**A/N:** Thank you **, Raburesu-kun, Gayle Nightingale, intrigued, Blacksteel-Gajeel23, love crimson red ray88, NikkiS71, Guest, Yueh16, niceladysakura** and **TheAvidReader** for reviewing!

* * *

 **Chapter 5 – Someone To Protect**

The next day, Miroku decided to call in sick. He figured he deserved a day to process the fact that not only were the sons of the legendary youkai Inu no Taisho still alive, but that he was sleeping with one of them.

However, he hadn't counted on being awoken gently, but insistently by Inuyasha at the ass-crack of dawn. Breakfast was at nine. They shouldn't be late. He'd groaned and grumbled and somehow stumbled into the shower.

Alright, so it was 7.30, not dawn, but Miroku still didn't appreciate being woken up not too long after he'd finally managed to fall asleep. And the rest of the morning didn't go much better.

By the time Miroku had taken a shower, their belongings had arrived. There wasn't much – just a few bags of whatever they'd managed to salvage out of their house, and a few things they'd bought afterwards to get by. But the intense relief he felt on seeing his own things was soon followed by the painful and embarrassing realization that nothing he owned was going to be appropriate even for the breakfast table.

It was when he had thought he was ready to go downstairs for breakfast, and Inuyasha stared at him like he had three heads, that he learned that going down for breakfast also required being dressed for it – and being dressed for it wasn't as simple as putting on a t-shirt and some pants.

There was a "casual" outfit laid out for the both of them which had apparently arrived while he'd been in the shower; Miroku suspected that Inuyasha had made sure the servants came and left without Miroku having to deal with them, and the unexpectedly thoughtful gesture made him feel warm inside in a way he hadn't felt since coming here.

The "casual" outfit, however, wasn't at all casual in Miroku's opinion. It consisted of semi-formal pants and a baby blue shirt that was brand new and well-ironed, but still somehow gave the impression of comfort. There were a separate set of socks and shoes which went with that. Inuyasha was already dressed when Miroku walked over to the clothes, dressed only in a towel, and picked up the pants.

"Inuyasha," he said frowning down at the label. "We need to talk about this."

Inuyasha looked up from when he was fastening the buttons on his sleeves. "What's the matter?"

Miroku sighed and sat down on the bed, patting the empty seat next to him. Inuyasha immediately stopped what he was doing and sat.

"Look… I get that you're… used to a certain way of life," he said softly. It sounded a little bitter even to his own ears. "And I'm trying to understand, I really am, but this makes me uncomfortable, wearing clothes bought with your family money. You know there's no way I'll be able to pay you back."

Inuyasha was silent for a moment, as he looked down thoughtfully.

"I can understand that," he said finally. "You don't have to wear any of that if you don't want to, Miroku. Sesshoumaru won't much care how a guest dresses - "

Miroku raised an eyebrow at that and Inuyasha waved him off dismissively. "-and god knows I don't give a crap. But it's not just us here. There's the staff, and it might be awkward for you to be dressed… differently, that's all. If you do decide to wear these things, just… think of them as loans, if that makes you more comfortable."

Miroku felt a stab of hurt at that, though he couldn't explain, even to himself, why. After all, it wasn't like he'd ever _wanted_ Inuyasha to buy him a bunch of nice clothes. And he was the one who'd brought it up, and Inuyasha was probably just trying to address his concerns.

He pushed the irrational hurt aside and smiled at Inuyasha. "Thank you," he said softly. "You're right. I- I don't think I have the strength or the confidence to take a -a stand in front of everyone. I'd just like to be as inconspicuous as possible. So, if it's ok with you, I'll just… borrow these things."

Inuyasha smiled and leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. "Whatever you want, Miroku," he said.

He didn't notice Miroku's smile flicker at that.

* * *

It was ten minutes to nine when Inuyasha and Miroku came down to breakfast.

Breakfast was in a different room than dinner. This room Miroku actually liked. It was bright and airy, with a couple of glass walls overlooking the gardens, and the mild morning sunlight came in beautifully and lit up the whole room. The air smelled fresh in a way Miroku had never really smelled it in the city, and there were actual birds chirping merrily outside.

Inuyasha and Miroku were the first to arrive. Breakfast was laid out on a large, circular table with revolving panels laden with delicious-looking dishes. There were plush, comfortable chairs laid out around the table, and their plates had already been set. Servants stood at ready next to the chairs with pitchers in their hands, and Inuyasha and Miroku sat down just as Sesshoumaru entered.

He'd already met the man twice now, but when he saw Sesshoumaru, Miroku felt a pit open up in his stomach. Sesshoumaru was wearing a crisp white shirt again, with perfectly tailored black pants with faint, barely visible, brown-gold stripes on them, and impeccable black formal shoes. All Miroku could think of, though, was the image in the scroll, of the flowing robes of feudal Lords, and Inu no Taisho with the markings on his face. It was surreal thought, imagining this man in front of him in those feudal era clothing. Did he look different then, hundreds of years ago?

The click of a dainty-looking maid's high heels brought his attention back to the present. She was, like the others, wearing a tiny black lace uniform and followed swiftly behind Sesshoumaru, carrying a black jacket and sleek black briefcase. A servant hurried forward to pull out his chair as he sat, and the maid remained standing a few steps behind. A little hysterically, Miroku found himself wondering if there were maids in youkai households in feudal Japan. And if there were, did they also wear such scanty clothing?

Miroku didn't meet the youkai's eyes when he returned the quiet "good morning", he got in greeting. And he studiously tried to avoid staring at clawed hands with purple stripes as they helped themselves to breakfast.

It wasn't difficult for a while as there was the bustle of servants serving them their juice and coffee. Just as Miroku was distracted enough to wonder why on earth anybody would make such an extravagant variety of dishes for breakfast, Sebastian asked them politely what they would like for their hot breakfast.

Feeling three sets of eyes, Miroku couldn't think of the name of one single breakfast dish, and after a painfully long pause, he stammered, "W-whatever you're having."

Thankfully, Inuyasha didn't seem to notice and he swiftly gave instructions Miroku was only half listening to.

"Won't Rin be joining us?" Inuyasha asked, when the servants had retreated after Sesshoumaru had declined to place an order with a glance and they were left to enjoy their meal in peace.

"She is already at school," Sesshoumaru said.

Miroku started a little at his voice, but tried to cover it up by digging into his food with gusto. He actually was starving as he'd had just a few snacks for dinner. But the movement had attracted Sesshoumaru's attention.

"I hope you are finding your stay comfortable, Miroku," Sesshoumaru said, and he didn't fail to notice how the man jumped at being addressed.

"Y-yes everything is fine, thank you," Miroku stuttered. Realizing it would seem very odd to be totally avoiding his eyes, he looked up reluctantly.

Golden eyes bore into his with their quiet intensity, and Miroku only looked away when he heard his knife clatter to the floor with a sound that was deafening in the quiet morning.

"I'm so sorry," he said mortified, and was about to bend down to pick it up, but a servant got there first, while another replaced it swiftly.

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were both following his movements with such a similar, curious look in their eyes, that Miroku felt his embarrassment hot in his cheeks despite his best efforts.

"I have asked Danno to ready a car," Sesshoumaru said, looking at Inuyasha. "He can drive you if you need."

Inuyasha's eyes lit up. "Wow, Danno can drive already?" he asked. "Well, I'll be damned."

"Language, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru chided, cutting up his meat and putting a piece neatly in his mouth. Miroku looked up, startled. It was… odd, hearing somebody talk to Inuyasha like that. But Inuyasha didn't seem to mind, or even notice, really, though he did turn slightly pink.

"I can't wait for you to meet Danno," he grinned, turning to Miroku. "I haven't seen the kid in forever."

Miroku smiled hesitantly.

Sesshoumaru got up from the breakfast not long after, murmuring his apologies for having to leave abruptly. The maid holding his briefcase scurried after him as he headed out the door, and Miroku breathed a sigh of relief as though a heavy weight had been lifted.

* * *

"Hey, would you like to take a walk through the gardens?" Inuyasha asked Miroku when breakfast was done.

"Umm," Miroku hesitated. "Maybe later? I…actually wanted to… go into town to… run some errands."

Inuyasha looked at him for a long moment. "Alright. Do'ya want me to go with you? The car's ready for you -"

Miroku shook his head. "It's just boring stuff. I'll be back in a bit. I want to walk."

"Are you sure?" Inuyasha asked him carefully. "It's a long way-"

"I'll be fine," Miroku cut in firmly.

Seeing the look in his eyes, Inuyasha decided not to argue, and just nodded. "I'll walk you out."

They came out a different way than the one by which they had entered the house. This exit seemed more informal. There was grey stone arch decorating the exit, and clay tiles on the large, semi-circular porch-like structure.

As they stepped out into the grounds, they were met with a beautiful black S-class Mercedes-Benz. Inuyasha couldn't help the painful twist in his chest. His brother had remembered this was his favourite place to enter and exit from, and had stationed the car here.

A dark-skinned boy stood in front of the car. He was short and thin, with a head full of curly hair and he was wearing a chauffeur's uniform. Though he looked like a young human boy, Miroku could tell from his too-sharp fingernails, and slightly oddly-shaped ears that he was a youkai.

"Lord Inuyasha," he called gleefully, his almond-brown eyes gleaming with joy, almost jumping up and down in his enthusiasm. Inuyasha smiled fondly and led Miroku over to him.

"Hey Danno. This is Miroku," he introduced.

"Hi, Miroku-san!" Before Miroku had a chance to say a hello, he was prattling on. "Lord Inuyasha, I couldn't believe it when they told me! You're really back!"

"Just for a little while, kid," Inuyasha said.

Danno's bright eyes dimmed. "You're leaving again?"

Inuyasha didn't look at him. "Hey look, I gotta get going, but I'll call you if we need to be driven anywhere."

He swiftly led Miroku away from him and out into the gardens before he even had a chance to say goodbye.

"How do you know him?" Miroku asked, as he was steered away.

"I practically watched him grow up," Inuyasha replied, his hand on his boyfriend's back. "His parents worked at the grocery down town. When they died, Danno was left with no one so we took him in."

"Oh," Miroku said, looking back towards him with a frown.

"You can use the car when you go to work tomorrow," Inuyasha told him. "Danno will wait for you there with the car, or you can give him a call and he'll pick you up when you're done with work."

Miroku blanched. Showing up to the school in that Mercedes-Benz S-class? He would be the topic of jealous and snide gossip forever.

"I'm not going to work in that," he hissed.

"Then how're you planning to go?" Inuyasha asked. "Coz if you wanna walk, it'll take you at least a couple of hours to get off the grounds."

Miroku blinked at him in surprise. "What? Are you kidding me? How is that even possible?"

Inuyasha looked away. Miroku felt a tinge of guilt. "I'll just… figure it out tomorrow," he said. "I'm going… into town anyway, so I'll see how long it takes me. Besides, I think the walk will do me good."

They walked together in almost complete silence. The walkway to the gate was impeccably paved and with a gorgeous view throughout. Colourful birds and butterflies flitted about through the tall and short trees. The sounds of insects was loud in the little clearing. When they were about half way through, Miroku came to a stop.

"I can…find my way from here," he said hesitantly.

"Be careful, monk," Inuyasha said, looking at him seriously. "If the guards give you any trouble getting back, just tell them to buzz me."

Miroku nodded and turned around to continue on the way out.

Then impulsively, he stopped and turned around. Inuyasha, who'd just been about to turn back, looked at him questioningly.

Miroku strode back towards the hanyou, and after hastily glancing about to make sure they were alone, he leaned over and pressed his lips to his boyfriends.

Inuyasha's hands came up to hold him close, taking over the kiss like he always did. The hanyou's comparatively rough tongue entered his mouth softly and Miroku moaned.

Clawed hands were on the back of his head, and Miroku unconsciously shuffled forward, rubbing lightly against the other man. Inuyasha's one hand came to grab his butt and squeezed it lightly. That was when Miroku squeaked and pulled away.

"Stop that," he breathed, sounding far too pleased to be really protesting.

Inuyasha had a lecherous grin on his face. "You're the one who started it, horny monk."

"Yeah well whose fault is that," Miroku muttered.

Inuyasha's golden eyes were alight with a lustful fire. "You're right, we're going to have to take care of that once you're back."

Miroku shivered at his decadent tone of voice, even as he swatted his hand away. "I'll see you later," he said, firmly turning on his heel to head out the gate. The happy grin that was threatening to break out on his face only appeared once he was out of the hanyou's sight.

* * *

When Miroku left, Inuyasha found himself wandering around the gardens he thought he'd left behind forever.

He walked for hours, just enjoying the quiet and the familiar, beautiful smells. Miroku's lovely face, flushed with colour from just a kiss kept coming back to him and he grinned to himself.

When finally went back into the house, it was past noon, and everything had taken on that surreal quality it does when things are quieter than you're used to and you've been silent for a long time.

The walls were familiar, the tall marble pillars that his brother liked, the light streaming in from the windows, the quiet bustle of servants. Time did that weird thing where it seemed to have stopped and reversed at the same time.

He headed to the dining room and ordered a cool drink and snacks. As he sat alone at the table, checking his messages on his phone, it occurred to him that the last time he was here, he had nowhere to be except his lessons and training. Anything else would have just been a distraction. And now, it felt like he was slacking off from his work; even now, he was checking to see if anybody had called him on a job.

He ate and drank quickly and decided to head back towards his room. Wandering around these halls still left him with an odd feeling in his stomach. Miroku had texted him saying it had taken him longer than he thought to just reach town and he would be late. Inuyasha thought he would maybe go through some of his old things and -

"Inuyasha."

The voice sent a shiver down his spine and stopped him dead in his tracks.

He heard his brother's quiet footsteps on the beautiful tiled floors. He didn't want to turn around.

But he did. Sesshoumaru was there, dressed in a formal suit, sans the tie, as always. His hair was tied back neatly, and when he walked, the light glinted off the exquisite watch on his left wrist visible slightly under the long sleeves of his shirt.

"You're home," Inuyasha said blankly.

"Yes," his brother agreed, seemingly unfazed by his inane statement.

The taiyoukai walked towards him with measured steps as he had always done, and Inuyasha found himself unable to move.

"I hope you're enjoying your stay," the elder brother breathed. Too close… he was standing too close, and Inuyasha could smell him and –

Inuyasha took a few steps away from him and raised his chin high. "Yes, it's fine, thank you," he replied.

Cold golden eyes glittered, and Inuyasha felt his heart jump in his chest.

"I'm with Miroku now, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha whispered hoarsely, trying his best to keep his voice steady and strong. "Whatever you thought was going to happen when you brought me here, whatever you wanted, it's not gonna happen."

"The monk," the demon Lord murmured. "You always did have a thing for humans with holy powers, didn't you, brother? The two priestesses and now-"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha said, then looked around as he realized he'd said it too loudly. Servants were giving him odd looks as they passed.

"Perhaps you imagine it will end any other way than it did with them," Sesshoumaru continued, eyes narrowing. Inuyasha went pale.

"You don't know _anything_ ," Inuyasha spat. "I don't care what you think anymore, Sesshoumaru. Not after what you did."

There was a clawed hand on his arm. Inuyasha gulped, willing his racing heart to slow.

"It still bothers you so," Sesshoumaru said, head tilted lightly to the side, the way Inuyasha remembered so painfully clearly.

"Leave me alone," Inuyasha screamed, snatching his arm away, out of his brother's reach, blinking rapidly at the memories threatening to crash over him.

When he finally looked up, he hated himself for the shiver of fear that went down his spine from the fury flashing in his elder brother's eyes.

Then Sesshoumaru grabbed his wrist and spun him around before he could so much as understand what was happening, and he was slammed up against the cold stone pillar in front of them.

Inuyasha laughed shakily, trying to look back at him. "I didn't know better back then," he whispered venomously. "I didn't know what I really wanted. Not until Miroku-"

Sesshoumaru stepped in closer and casually raised his bent arm slightly, causing a spasm of pure pain to shoot up his arm. Inuyasha blinked rapidly, heart thundering in his chest, wondering if he'd broken his arm. He tensed the muscles in his arm experimentally; he didn't think the arm was broken.

He gritted his teeth and remained resolutely silent, refusing to give the other man the satisfaction of hearing him begging for mercy.

"Don't test my patience, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru hissed in his ear.

From where his face was squashed against the pillar, Inuyasha could see some servants watching him out of the corner of their eyes. The humiliation burned through him worse than the pain. But he remained silent.

A few agonizing moments later, his arm was released, and when he turned around, Sesshoumaru was gone.

* * *

Miroku was fuming when he finally arrived back at the mansion. It was hot, his very expensive clothes were sticking to him since he was covered in sweat, and he'd wasted his one day off walking for most of it, so tomorrow, when he went into work, his feet would be killing him, on top of everything else.

It had taken over two hours for Miroku to finally cross the "private property" sign and reach a part of town where there were other vehicles and public transport available.

But it had felt good being back in the real world, in the city. There was the bustle of people and the annoying sound of vehicle horns, and the smoke-filled air, and Miroku had never appreciated crowded walkways more.

He stopped off at a café to get a cold coffee, then headed off to complete his errands. The familiar places and things were calming, but there was one thing. People were looking at him oddly.

It happened in two different places before Miroku realized it was his clothes. People were even treating him differently. Going to places like banks and grocery stores usually meant being invisible, but today people were treating him…deferentially. Clerks abandoned other customers to come help him out. He didn't have to say a word to get the attention of salespeople; they appeared at his side the moment he showed interest in something. When they spoke to him, their tone was respectful.

For some reason, it really pissed him off.

By the time he decided to head back, it was already late afternoon. He debated on taking a taxi, but he didn't know if outside vehicles were allowed on the grounds. Besides, he'd made a big deal about not using the car so it was point of pride to finish his work on his own. In the end, he took a bus to the nearest bus stop, and then walked back through the grounds.

By the time he reached back to Inuyasha's room, the sun was setting. Looking at the darkening sky outside, he realized that he'd at least found one important thing out today – he would definitely have to use the damned car to go to work. Maybe he'd get down a few blocks away and then walk to school. Or he could take the car to a bus stop and then take a bus.

He was distracted from his thoughts when he saw Inuyasha sitting near the window, staring outside.

Despite his bad mood, he felt a smile tugging at his lips as he approached the hanyou and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

To his surprise, Inuyasha jumped a little in surprise. But as soon as he saw him, the hanyou was smiling up at him, and he leaned up to kiss him.

Miroku leaned down to where the hanyou was sitting and locked his lips over the hanyou's.

He eeped when he was pulled down into the half-demon's lap.

"Inuyasha, I need a shower," he mumbled as he was ravished. "I'm all sweaty."

"Don't care," Inuyasha answered hoarsely, tearing at his clothes. Miroku gasped as buttons popped off the ridiculously expensive shirt but he didn't get a chance to protest as Inuyasha's lips were now on his exposed chest.

That was when his eyes landed on Inuyasha's exposed wrist, and he firmly pushed the hanyou off him and came to sit beside him.

"Inuyasha, what is that?" he asked quietly, grabbing Inuyasha's arm and forcing his sleeve up.

He hissed at the raw bruise on his wrist before Inuyasha quickly withdrew his arm.

"It's nothing," he said quickly. "Now where were we…"

But Miroku held him at arm's length, forcing the hanyou to meet his eyes.

"Inuyasha," Miroku said, shocked. "Who did this to you?"

Seeing the way Inuyasha avoided his gaze, Miroku knew instantly.

"Was it Sesshoumaru?" he asked in a whisper.

Inuyasha stroked his bruised wrist absently. "…just leave it alone, ok?"

"No! Not ok! This is not ok, Inuyasha! He hurt you!" Seeing the carefully blank look on Inuyasha's face, something suddenly clicked into place. "He's been hurting you for a long time, hasn't he? This is clearly abuse. How long has this been going on?"

"…don't worry about it, monk. I'm fine."

"Is that why you left?" Miroku asked in a hushed voice, horror creeping into his voice. "He… abused you?"

Inuyasha looked startled. "What? No, nothing like that. He's not… he's not abusing me," Inuyasha said exasperatedly. "That's just how he is. I don't… I can't explain this to you, monk."

"Yeah, you're damn right you can't," Miroku muttered, eyes hardening. "I'm going to have a little chat with him. He's going to think twice before laying a hand on you."

"You'll do nothing of the kind," Inuyasha said, alarmed. "Don't provoke him, monk. He'll kill you."

* * *

"Hey! Sesshoumaru!" he called, his sharp voice echoing in the quiet hallway, and the demon lord slowly came to a stop, eyes glittering with anger and amusement. Servants going about their tasks stuttered in their gait before continuing with their work.

When he turned around, Inuyasha's friend was striding towards him with a purpose.

"Where do you get off laying a hand on Inuyasha?" Miroku began.

Sesshoumaru turned fully towards him and raised an eyebrow.

"You've so far got away with doing whatever you wanted because he was alone," Miroku said quietly, and Sesshoumaru felt his aura flare with the kind of holy energy he hadn't felt in a long time. "Well, he's not alone anymore," Miroku said quietly. "You lay a finger on him again, and you're a dead man."

* * *

 **A/N:** Mwaahaahaaa BAMF Miroku! Please review and let me know what you think! ^.^ Feedback is really appreciated.


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